Always prepare food for the sick in the neatest and most careful manner. In sickness the senses are usually acute, and far more susceptible to carelessness, negligence, and mistakes in the preparation and serving of food than when in health.

To Make Gruel

Pour one quart of hot water into a clean earthen or tin vessel over a brisk fire; when it boils, add two large tablespoonfuls of corn or oatmeal; mix it smooth in just enough water to thicken it; put a small'lump of butter into the water and when melted, add the meal and stir for about one-half hour; then add a teacupful of sweet milk, and when it boils again throw in the upper crust of hard-baked bread, cut into small pieces; let it boil some time and add a little black pepper, a little salt, a pinch of grated nutmeg, a little more butter and a teaspoonful of French brandy. The butter, spices and brandy should be omitted when the case is a serious one.

Beef Tea

Take one pound of lean beef, cut it fine, put it in a bottle corked tightly, and put the bottle into a kettle of warm water; the water should be allowed to boil for a considerable time; the bottle should then be removed and the contents poured out. The tea may be salted a little and a teaspoonful given each time. Another way of preparing it is as follows: Take a thick steak, broil slightly on a gridiron until the juices have started, and then squeeze thoroughly with a lemon squeezer. The juice thus extracted will be highly nutritious.

Restorative Jelly

Put in glass jar one-half box granulated gelatine, one tablespoon granulated gum arabic, two cloves, three tablespoons sugar, two tablespoons lemon juice, one cup port wine. Stand in kettle cold water, heat till all is dissolved. Strain into shallow dish. Chill. Cut in one-half inch squares.

Beef Juice

Cut a thin, juicy steak into pieces one and one-half inches square; brown separately one and one-half minutes on each side before a hot fire; squeeze in a hot lemon squeezer; flavor with salt and pepper. May add to milk or pour on toast.

Mutton Broth

Lean loin of mutton, one and one-half pounds, including bone; water three pints. Boil gently till tender, throwing in a little salt and onion according to taste. Pour out broth in basin; when cold skim off fat. Warm up as wanted.

Chicken Broth

Select a plump chicken, cut into pieces and put into a granite pot with cover. Add two tablespoonfuls of pearl barley and two quarts of water; simmer for three hours, skimming frequently. When done remove from the fire, let stand for three hours; skim off top, heat, and serve.

Clam Broth

Wash thoroughly six large clams in shell; put in kettle with one cup of water; bring to boil and keep there one minute; the shells open, the water takes up the proper quantity of juice, and the broth is ready to pour off and serve hot.

Cream Soup

Take one quart of good stock (mutton or veal), cut one onion into quarters, slice three potatoes very thin, and put them into the stock with a small piece of mace; boil gently for an hour; then strain out the onion and mace; the potatoes should by this time have dissolved in the stock. Add one pint of milk, mixed with a very little corn flour to make it about as thick as cream. A little butter improves it. This soup may be made with milk instead of stock, if a little cream is used.

Apple Soup

Two cups of apples, two of water, two teaspoons of corn starch, one and one-half tablespoonfuls of sugar, one saltspoonful of cinnamon and a bit of salt. Stew the apple in the water until it is very soft, then mix together into a smooth paste the corn starch, sugar, salt and cinnamon with a little cold water; pour this into the apple and boil for five minutes. Strain it and keep it hot until ready to serve.

Raw Meat Diet

Scrape pulp from a good steak, season to taste, smear on thin slices of bread. Sear bread slightly and serve as a sandwich.

Nutritious Coffee

Dissolve a little gelatine in water, put one-half ounce of freshly ground coffee into sauce pan with one pint of new milk, which should be nearly boiling before the coffee is added; boil both together for three minutes; clear by pouring some of it into a cup and dashing back again; add the gelatine and leave it to settle for a few minutes. Beat up an egg in a breakfast cup and pour the coffee upon it. If preferred, drink without the egg.

Rum Punch

White sugar two teaspoonfuls; one egg stirred and beaten up; warm milk, large wineglassful; Jamaica rum, two to four teaspoonfuls nutmeg.